Gujarati students in Oz advocate self-restraint
The group has sent SMSes and emails to thousands of Indians requesting them not to over-react to help ease the situation
By Yogesh Avasthi and Ojas Mehta
Posted On Monday, June 15, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=200906152009061502323489929459583)
Contrary to common perception, Gujaratis living in Australia believe that the situation is not as bad as made out in the media, with many reports of racial attacks being plain exaggeration. This has in fact caused undue panic and provoked innocent Indians, they said.
Many Gujaratis in Oz have launched an SMS and email campaign which has reached out to thousands of Indians to urge them not to over-react and lie low. They are aimed at putting a lid on the hype surrounding racial attacks to ease the situation.
“The way media reports are hyped, I feel as if life here is like in Afghanistan or Somalia,” said a Melbourne-based Gujarati settled in Australia for the past five years. “I was embarrassed when my boss asked me if I felt that Australians were racist. I feel that the media campaign in India is disgusting, and has worked to only provoke innocent Indians,” the Gujarati from Ahmedabad said.
If an Australian tries to raise the Australian flag in India, would we tolerate it? The rally was very stupid, unorganised, uncontrolled and violent, and most of all, the objective and demands (raised) were very unclear. — Email circulated by gujarati students Jay Patel, Dhara Patel and Stuty Shah
An SMS being circulated says the impression being given is that there is a war-like situation in Australia, which has raised undue worry among parents. It further claimed that community leaders were getting midnight calls from journos asking them if they had experienced racial attacks in their life.
Another SMS urged Indians to ignore rumours of attacks being circulated on certain communities. It tried to dispel fear saying the Australian authorities were taking urgent action in the matter. An email being circulated by Gujarati students Jay Patel, Dhara Patel and Stuty Shah, a copy of which is with AM, says while it was good to see the unity, the objective of the gathering at Melbourne was unclear and against the government. The email also criticises the act of raising the Indian flag during the Melbourne rally, claiming it unnecessarily provoked some sections there.
The email read: “If an Australian tries to raise the Australian flag in India, would we tolerate it? It (the rally) was very stupid, unorganised, uncontrolled and violent, and most of all, the objective and demands (raised) were very unclear.”
The email, while being sympathetic towards students who had been actually attacked, stressed that it was more a criminal act than a racial attack. Besides, discrimination existed even in India where a North Indian discriminates against a South Indian, it said.
The email circulated says 90 per cent of Australians are decent, disciplined and non-interfering and only junkies and immature children harbour racist tendencies.
By Yogesh Avasthi and Ojas Mehta
Posted On Monday, June 15, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=200906152009061502323489929459583)
Contrary to common perception, Gujaratis living in Australia believe that the situation is not as bad as made out in the media, with many reports of racial attacks being plain exaggeration. This has in fact caused undue panic and provoked innocent Indians, they said.
Many Gujaratis in Oz have launched an SMS and email campaign which has reached out to thousands of Indians to urge them not to over-react and lie low. They are aimed at putting a lid on the hype surrounding racial attacks to ease the situation.
“The way media reports are hyped, I feel as if life here is like in Afghanistan or Somalia,” said a Melbourne-based Gujarati settled in Australia for the past five years. “I was embarrassed when my boss asked me if I felt that Australians were racist. I feel that the media campaign in India is disgusting, and has worked to only provoke innocent Indians,” the Gujarati from Ahmedabad said.
If an Australian tries to raise the Australian flag in India, would we tolerate it? The rally was very stupid, unorganised, uncontrolled and violent, and most of all, the objective and demands (raised) were very unclear. — Email circulated by gujarati students Jay Patel, Dhara Patel and Stuty Shah
An SMS being circulated says the impression being given is that there is a war-like situation in Australia, which has raised undue worry among parents. It further claimed that community leaders were getting midnight calls from journos asking them if they had experienced racial attacks in their life.
Another SMS urged Indians to ignore rumours of attacks being circulated on certain communities. It tried to dispel fear saying the Australian authorities were taking urgent action in the matter. An email being circulated by Gujarati students Jay Patel, Dhara Patel and Stuty Shah, a copy of which is with AM, says while it was good to see the unity, the objective of the gathering at Melbourne was unclear and against the government. The email also criticises the act of raising the Indian flag during the Melbourne rally, claiming it unnecessarily provoked some sections there.
The email read: “If an Australian tries to raise the Australian flag in India, would we tolerate it? It (the rally) was very stupid, unorganised, uncontrolled and violent, and most of all, the objective and demands (raised) were very unclear.”
The email, while being sympathetic towards students who had been actually attacked, stressed that it was more a criminal act than a racial attack. Besides, discrimination existed even in India where a North Indian discriminates against a South Indian, it said.
The email circulated says 90 per cent of Australians are decent, disciplined and non-interfering and only junkies and immature children harbour racist tendencies.
